Rev. Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Leader, Dies at 84

Rev. Jesse Jackson, a significant figure in the American civil rights movement, died at the age of 84 following a prolonged struggle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

His family announced his passing on a Tuesday, highlighting his legacy as a servant leader who fought for justice and equality. Jackson rose to prominence during the 1960s civil rights movement, notably as part of the "Greenville Eight," advocating for the desegregation of public libraries in Greenville, South Carolina.

He was a protégé of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and played a crucial role in advancing economic justice through the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Operation Breadbasket.

Jackson founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, merging two organizations to continue his advocacy for voting rights and economic empowerment. He made two historic bids for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, served in Washington D.C.'s shadow Senate from 1991 to 1997, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000 for his decades-long commitment to civil rights and social change.